Stick Blender Issues

[dalewaite48]

I used to use a One Piece Hamilton Beach stick blender and it worked great and did not produce air into the batter. I used to have two of them and now finally one wore out and down to my last one. I have tried several two piece blenders from expensive rechargeable to inexpensive two piece and hate every one I have tried. They all want to put air into the batter to matter how many times I tap on the bottom to get the air bubbles out. Has anyone had similar issues and does anyone know where you can purchase 1 piece stick blenders? I have looked on Amazon and not had any luck.

 

[lsg]

This link has some info on avoiding bubbles. 4 Best Stick Blenders for Soap Making (Voted by Soap Makers)

 

[Zing]

I used to use a One Piece Hamilton Beach stick blender and it worked great and did not produce air into the batter. I used to have two of them and now finally one wore out and down to my last one. I have tried several two piece blenders from expensive rechargeable to inexpensive two piece and hate every one I have tried. They all want to put air into the batter to matter how many times I tap on the bottom to get the air bubbles out. Has anyone had similar issues and does anyone know where you can purchase 1 piece stick blenders? I have looked on Amazon and not had any luck.

How frustrating. I love mine and on my second one, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...ch_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=forumyield-20

 

[AhZo]

I know there are many blender threads here, and I am *just* starting to shop for one for soaping. (so, more threads to review)
No - I am still not smart enough to wrap my head around CP, but I need a stick blender for attempting an olegel (possibly) in the near future, so I figure if I get one that can also CP I have that option in the future. (because it is really tough to admit that things that have been easy for you in the past are things that you just can not understand anymore - and keep hoping that it is just temporary confusion and not your brain slowly dying)

I followed the link @lsg posted.
How to Avoid Air Bubbles and the *Number One* item is

1. Look for a stick blender with a shallow or flat head

And yet, their winner is the Braun which has what looks like a massive deep dome shaped head. ("massive" as it compares to stick blenders, of course)

I do not know if this is the dementia, the medications, general confusion, or my cue to finally drop out of the last few social options I have left for myself, but I am seriously confused.

Can anyone 'splain? And please: type slow. *giggle*

 

[dibbles]

@AhZo in looking at the link lsg posted I can see where you have some confusion, because you are right, the bell of the Braun is domed. The article doesn't say who was voting on the stick blenders, but I have a guess as to why the Braun may have been favored. The Braun has a 400 watt motor and a lot of speed settings. A professional who makes a lot of soap and big batches might find this more important than a hobbyist. A domed bell doesn't necessarily have to be avoided, but it is harder to get the air that can be trapped out than a bell with a flat shape.

I have a Cuisinart like the one @Zing linked, and I love it. It has a high/low setting which I really appreciate and rarely does it trap any air bubbles in the bell. I didn't think it was possible to find a stick blender that I liked better than my beloved ancient Braun, but this one is the winner!

I hope this helps.

 

[Zing]

I know there are many blender threads here, and I am *just* starting to shop for one for soaping. (so, more threads to review)
No - I am still not smart enough to wrap my head around CP, but I need a stick blender for attempting an olegel (possibly) in the near future, so I figure if I get one that can also CP I have that option in the future. (because it is really tough to admit that things that have been easy for you in the past are things that you just can not understand anymore - and keep hoping that it is just temporary confusion and not your brain slowly dying)

I followed the link @lsg posted.
How to Avoid Air Bubbles and the *Number One* item is

1. Look for a stick blender with a shallow or flat head

And yet, their winner is the Braun which has what looks like a massive deep dome shaped head. ("massive" as it compares to stick blenders, of course)

I do not know if this is the dementia, the medications, general confusion, or my cue to finally drop out of the last few social options I have left for myself, but I am seriously confused.

Can anyone 'splain? And please: type slow. *giggle*

Nope, your reviewing of threads is done all with @dibbles 's reply, post #5! What she said.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

And yet, their winner is the Braun

I used to have 2 Brauns. They work well. I gave one to another soaper. I found them both at a thrift store for $5 each. Check them out. The shaft is plastic so I just use it for lotions and stuff. The shaft releases so I can wash it in the dishwasher. I have a Cuisinart "Smart Stick" with a stainless steel shaft for making liquid soap -- it can melt plastic -- that's how I lost my SB that lasted for 11 years. BOO HOO. No great loss, however. It had a couple of "missing teeth".

 

[AhZo]

@AhZo in looking at the link lsg posted I can see where you have some confusion, because you are right, the bell of the Braun is domed. The article doesn't say who was voting on the stick blenders, but I have a guess as to why the Braun may have been favored. The Braun has a 400 watt motor and a lot of speed settings. A professional who makes a lot of soap and big batches might find this more important than a hobbyist. A domed bell doesn't necessarily have to be avoided, but it is harder to get the air that can be trapped out than a bell with a flat shape.

I have a Cuisinart like the one @Zing linked, and I love it. It has a high/low setting which I really appreciate and rarely does it trap any air bubbles in the bell. I didn't think it was possible to find a stick blender that I liked better than my beloved ancient Braun, but this one is the winner!

I hope this helps.

Thank you @dibbles.
If there *can* be confusion, even the slightest chance, guaranteed I will be one of the ones irredeemably confused! Sorry.

I actually have a similar (I believe) Cuisinart "smart stick" which I use in the kitchen and can easily get here, but it is the same price as the Braun.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/...nts-stainless-steel-0431929p.html?rq=&loc=plp
Note: not gonna use the same blender for food and CP, but I am thinking I can use it making olegel if I am not using anything caustic, poisonous, uncleanable, etc.

There are just so many variables that I cannot parse them all and how they apply. I sincerely appreciate the assistance of all the expertise here, although I might point out that even my passing interest in these things has been exacerbated by your influences!

I LEARNED IT BY WATCHING YOU!!!
(*giggle*)

Nope, your reviewing of threads is done all with @dibbles 's reply, post #5! What she said.

Thank you @Zing!

I used to have 2 Brauns. They work well. I gave one to another soaper. I found them both at a thrift store for $5 each. Check them out. The shaft is plastic so I just use it for lotions and stuff. The shaft releases so I can wash it in the dishwasher. I have a Cuisinart "Smart Stick" with a stainless steel shaft for making liquid soap -- it can melt plastic -- that's how I lost my SB that lasted for 11 years. BOO HOO. No great loss, however. It had a couple of "missing teeth".

Thank you for that info @Zany_in_CO . This is very important information for me and I sincrely appreciate you sharing because one of the attractions of getting 'more involved' in these escapades is making liquid soap! So...you saved me potential headaches and frustration down the road.

Anecdotes save lives! LOL

Now I am in shopping mode, which for me can last months - because having is not quite as pleasurable a thing as wanting! LOL
(50 points if you get that reference - extra 25 if you catch if it needs correction)

 

[Kiti Williams]

I use a KitchenAid stick blender and have no problems with excess air bubbles. Most break when I am pouring my mix into the mold. I think how you blend not what you use is the bubble culprit. I start with the lowest setting and move to the highest after the soap is thickening. I blend to low trace, so my soaps are mostly bubble free. HTH

 

[AliOop]

Note: not gonna use the same blender for food and CP, but I am thinking I can use it making olegel if I am not using anything caustic, poisonous, uncleanable, etc.

Actually, you have this backwards. Remember that soap batter will actually clean your stickblender when you go to rinse it off. Nothing caustic will remain on it, because the NaOH will either be saponified with the oils, or it will quickly convert into harmless soda ash due to contact with the air.

In contrast, a greasy lotion will be harder to wash off the stickblender than any soap batter will be. But honestly, either one rinses off pretty easily if you soak the blade and shaft briefly in hot water with Dawn, then reattach it to the stickblender and give it a good whirl in that hot soapy water.

What you really need to consider is the potential contamination of your products, not your food. For instance, lotion is far more likely than soap to go bad if any food particles remain on the stickblender.

In contrast, soap batter has the benefit of the high pH and the caustic nature of the lye, which kills anything in any small food particles that would otherwise cause spoilage of the finished soap. People put all kinds of food products in their CP soap batter, and have no problems with that as long as it's not chunks of unblended food.

For these reasons, I tend to use one SB for lotions, gels, etc., and a different one for soap, and a different one for food. But for years, I used the same SB, crockpot, spatulas, etc., for soap and for food. No one in my house has ever died or even be sickened by this. It's pretty easy to clean everything sufficiently with hot water, a good grease-cutting dish soap, and a little elbow grease.

 

[maxine289]

I have a Hamilton Beach which introduces a lot of bubbles into my batter so I don't use it much. I also can recommend the Cuisinart which does not introduce many bubbles and it is easy to burp if necessary. I wonder how well the Braun would burp and how easy it is to clean, given the shape of the bell. Sadly, I needed to replace the Cuisinart (it was making noises) but the new Cuisinart smart stick I received had an unlock button on the top and i found it impossible to press the unlock button on the top and the start button on the side at the same time. Plus having to press the unlock button each time makes it impossible to pulse. Has anyone found a way around this, or do you have a smart stick without an unlock button? The Cuisinart Zing and Dibbles have has the unlock button on the side with start button. It is easy to pulse? I wish I could find one with no unlock button at all.

 

[dibbles]

@maxine289 the Cuisinart I have isn't as easy to pulse as a stick blender without a lock button. I tend to turn my blender on for 1-2 seconds at a time, and I don't have any difficulty doing that with the buttons being together on the side. I don't know how you manage that one with the button on the top - it seems very awkward to use.

 

[JuLeeRenee]

1. Look for a stick blender with a shallow or flat head

And yet, their winner is the Braun which has what looks like a massive deep dome shaped head. ("massive" as it compares to stick blenders, of course)

I had the Braun, while it looks like it has a massive deep dome shaped head they have a flat piece on the inside of it making it shallow. I have found that what really is important is the stick that holds the blending tool. If there is wobble in there it seems to create air bubbles.

 

[dibbles]

I had the Braun, while it looks like it has a massive deep dome shaped head they have a flat piece on the inside of it making it shallow. I have found that what really is important is the stick that holds the blending tool. If there is wobble in there it seems to create air bubbles.

Good to know! Thank you!

 

[Zing]

I have a Hamilton Beach which introduces a lot of bubbles into my batter so I don't use it much. I also can recommend the Cuisinart which does not introduce many bubbles and it is easy to burp if necessary. I wonder how well the Braun would burp and how easy it is to clean, given the shape of the bell. Sadly, I needed to replace the Cuisinart (it was making noises) but the new Cuisinart smart stick I received had an unlock button on the top and i found it impossible to press the unlock button on the top and the start button on the side at the same time. Plus having to press the unlock button each time makes it impossible to pulse. Has anyone found a way around this, or do you have a smart stick without an unlock button? The Cuisinart Zing and Dibbles have has the unlock button on the side with start button. It is easy to pulse? I wish I could find one with no unlock button at all.

The lock button has never bothered me. I stick blend in 3-5 second bursts.

Oh, fun fact I'm embarrassed that I only recently learned. You can release the unlock button and don't need to hold it down continuously and simultaneously with the on button.

 

[dmcgee5034]

I just recently picked up a new one at Costco. The first time I used it, I was so frustrated. Isn’t it funny how learning something new can be challenging - not to mention while you are making soap! Happy with it now and I didn’t experience bubbles. I believe I got it for $40, but here’s what the website lists it at today:

 

[dibbles]

@dmcgee5034 so true! I'm so used to the lock button now I push where it would be on my stickblender that doesn't have one

 

[TheGecko]

I have the BELLA Immersion Hand Blender/Whisk that I bought four years ago and it works well. I generally don't have an issue with incorporating air so long as I insert the bell in at an angle with the hole on top so air escapes as it is filled with oils/lye solution and I don't blend near the top of my oils.

 

[AhZo]

Actually, you have this backwards. Remember that soap batter will actually clean your stickblender when you go to rinse it off. Nothing caustic will remain on it, because the NaOH will either be saponified with the oils, or it will quickly convert into harmless soda ash due to contact with the air.

In contrast, a greasy lotion will be harder to wash off the stickblender than any soap batter will be. But honestly, either one rinses off pretty easily if you soak the blade and shaft briefly in hot water with Dawn, then reattach it to the stickblender and give it a good whirl in that hot soapy water.

What you really need to consider is the potential contamination of your products, not your food. For instance, lotion is far more likely than soap to go bad if any food particles remain on the stickblender.

In contrast, soap batter has the benefit of the high pH and the caustic nature of the lye, which kills anything in any small food particles that would otherwise cause spoilage of the finished soap. People put all kinds of food products in their CP soap batter, and have no problems with that as long as it's not chunks of unblended food.

For these reasons, I tend to use one SB for lotions, gels, etc., and a different one for soap, and a different one for food. But for years, I used the same SB, crockpot, spatulas, etc., for soap and for food. No one in my house has ever died or even be sickened by this. It's pretty easy to clean everything sufficiently with hot water, a good grease-cutting dish soap, and a little elbow grease.

Yes, I have that backwards.
Thank you for explaining - I sincerely appreciate that.
Honestly, I think I am more trying to talk myself into buying a wholly separate device which is similar if not the same as a device we already have for a different purpose. heh heh Shopping! (usually the part I like the best - except with stick blenders there are too many options)

 

[AhZo]

I have the BELLA Immersion Hand Blender/Whisk that I bought four years ago and it works well. I generally don't have an issue with incorporating air so long as I insert the bell in at an angle with the hole on top so air escapes as it is filled with oils/lye solution and I don't blend near the top of my oils.

Excellent info for me to keep in mind, being a sort of 'big picture, I need to 'see' the process in my head before being able to do step one'.
I think I might make soup soon, so I should try these techniques on my Southwestern Super Spicy Sweet Potato soup first.
Oh poo - I am thinking about food...again.
heh